Children's Law Center fights so every DC child can grow up with a loving family, good health and a quality education.
From Running Away to a Successful Career: Breyana Tibbs describes her teenage self as a loose cannonball. We met Breyana because her mom couldn’t safely care for Breyana or her siblings. As a result, the young teenager, in her words, “crashed” into the foster care system. Breyana was understandably unhappy and confused. Her frustration led her to run away from her foster home for months at a time, and she was missing critical school hours. She eventually entered into the juvenile justice system—and even faced a challenge from the IRS. “I’ve been on Breyana’s case—and on her team—for six years, which is longer than anyone else, from social workers to her foster parent,” her Children’s Law Center attorney Katherine Piggott-Tooke said. “She’s gone through some tough spots, but due to her strength, resiliency and perseverance, she has overcome every hurdle.” Even when she was running away, Breyana knew Piggott-Tooke would always fight for her. “Katherine called me at least once a week, every single week, while I was in care. She wanted to know if I was okay, if I needed anything,” Breyana recalls. “When a judge wanted me locked away, or I was having problems with CFSA or health coverage, Katherine advocated for me. I could always call her, no matter what kind of a sticky situation I was in, and knew she would always be there.”
